Cleveland Indians take 1-0 game from Oakland Athletics

CLEVELAND -- They've won by a lot (14-2), they've won by a little (7-6), and now they've won by hardly scoring at all -- 1-0.

The red-hot Indians have won eight of their last nine games and the wins have come in all shapes and sizes. Tuesday night's win barely had any shape at all as the Tribe scored one unearned run but that was enough to beat the Oakland A's 1-0.

"We didn't do a whole lot offensively, a sacrifice fly and that was it -- but we come in here and hear the music playing," said Tribe manager Terry Francona, of the pumping back beat of the post-win music that regularly echoes from the Tribe clubhouse -- regardless of the size or shape of the win.

In the major leagues these days seeing a 1-0 game is like seeing a UFO.

The Indians pitched even better than that Tuesday as Zach McAllister, in perhaps the best start of his 32-start major league career tossed 7 2/3 scoreless innings against the team that leads the American League in runs scored.

"He threw a lot of first-pitch strikes. He only had a 2-0 count on one hitter. He located his fastball well, backdoored his breaking ball and had a great split. He was quick to first base. He ran the game," Francona said.

All of a sudden the formerly troubling Tribe starting rotation is at the front of the parade. In the last eight games Indians starting pitchers are 7-1 with a 2.50 ERA.

"It's exciting. Every one of us wants to pitch better than the guy in front of him," McAllister said. "It's a friendly competition."

McAllister struck out four, walked one and 74 of his 111 pitches were strikes.

"I was able to get ahead in the count on a lot of hitters and when you do that it allows you to get into a good rhythm," said McAllister, who needed to be that stingy because Oakland starter Tommy Milone was just as good.

Milone pitched seven innings and allowed one unearned run, thanks to two Oakland errors on a single play in the fifth inning.

Tribe closer Chris Perez came on to pitch the ninth inning, looking for about as high octane of a save as there is -- a 1-0 game.

Perez retired the first batter, but Yoenis Cespedes singled. Cespedes, who had 16 stolen bases last year, tried to steal his way into scoring position, but Tribe catcher Yan Gomes, flashing textbook mechanics, threw a laser to shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera, to easily retire the sliding Cespedes.

Perez then struck out Brandon Moss to end the game.

The Indians only scored one run but they probably should have had more. The Tribe had the leadoff hitter on base in four of the first six innings, but only scored one run out of it.

That came in the fifth when A's first baseman Moss booted a grounder hit by Carlos Santana. The ball ricocheted to second baseman Eric Sogard, who threw wildly to Milone covering first, allowing Santana to go to second on what was ruled a double error.

Santana went to third on a single by Mike Aviles and scored on a sacrifice fly by Gomes, who helped win the game with his bat and his arm.

McAllister was untouchable for most of the night. Only six of the 28 batters he faced in the game reached base. Four of those six batters who reached base did so with two outs, which helped him pitch out of what little trouble he was in.

He was removed from the game after giving up a two-out single to John Jaso in the eighth inning. Rich Hill came in and retired pinch hitter Luke Montz on a ground ball for the third out.

Perez -- with the help of Gomes -- faced the minimum three batters in the ninth to pick up his fourth save.